


Shadows Gather Round

by Cheree_Cargill



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anxiety, Baby Harry Potter, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Pre-Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 07:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20272534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheree_Cargill/pseuds/Cheree_Cargill
Summary: Lily Potter has just given birth to her baby boy Harry and they are safe within the enchanted cottage where they live.  But Lily is terrified that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is out there hunting for them.  James attempts to reassure her but are they really, truly safe here?





	Shadows Gather Round

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: The Harry Potter characters are the property of J. K. Rowling, Warner Brothers, and any other legal copyright owner. The story is the creation and property of Cheree Cargill and is copyright (c) 2010 by Cheree Cargill. Originally published in "Shipped First Class #2", 2010, A Larger Playground Press.

"Lily?"

The black-haired man absent-mindedly pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stepped into the small, neat bedroom, being careful to keep his voice low. The only light came from the candle on the dressing table against one wall, but he could see the room clearly. The wallpaper held a sports theme, filled with tiny snitches and quaffles and broom-riding Quidditch players. Over the head of the white crib was a matching mobile, silent and motionless now, but which would play music and turn merrily at the flick of a wand. Blue curtains framed the window that looked out onto the overgrown garden, invisible now with the shade drawn to keep away the night. A small figure stood beside the crib, arms folded across her breasts, head bent to listen.

"What are you doing out of bed? Is Harry all right? Are you?" James Potter stepped up beside his wife and peered down at the tiny infant peacefully asleep amid blue blankets.

"Yes, we're both fine, James," answered the young woman in a soft voice. "I just thought I heard him cry. I'm not used to having him sleep in the nursery and not in the bassinet in our room. I suppose I was just being a silly-nilly, that's all." She smiled somewhat sheepishly up at her tall husband.

"Not at all," he grinned, slipping his arm around her waist and nuzzling into her long red hair. "You're being a very good mum, if you ask me. Better than that sister of yours, I'll wager."

"Now, I'm sure Petunia is a very good mother," replied Lily loyally. "She always seemed destined for that. When we were girls and played house, she always had to be the mum and I always had to go along with whatever she wanted. Had to do things her way."

James grunted in a cynical tone. "I'll just bet you did! I wonder how that great lump of hers is doing."

Lily couldn't suppress a giggle. "Who do you mean -- Vernon or the baby ... Dudley?"

"Applies to either, doesn't it? But I meant Dud -- Merlin, what an appropriate name! She's probably got him fed up into a lump of suet already. Bet he's nowhere near as nice as our Harry!"

Lily giggled again and looked up into her husband's face. It was a strong face, looking older than its years, but one that she could see remaining the same as time went by. "How _could_ he be? Neither Petunia nor Vernon are any winners in the looks department, are they? And little Harry's dad is so devastatingly handsome."

"And his mummy is so drop dead gorgeous..."

James bent and caught her lips in a long, though slightly awkward kiss.

"Ummm..." he murmured. "Come back to bed, my love."

She smiled, reading his thoughts as clearly as if she were a Legilimens. "Not just yet, darling. I haven't quite healed. It won't be long, though. As soon as Madame Parsley says I'm well and fully recovered."

"That old hag ... And I mean no insult of Hags!" James retorted but squeezed his young wife affectionately. "No, I meant, you don't need to be up so soon. You only had the baby a month ago and you only _just_ avoided having to go into St. Mungo's to have him. He put you through a rough time." James gave a nod in the baby's direction. "You know I wouldn't press myself on you until you're ready."

Lily turned in his arms to embrace him properly. "Oh, press away, if that's all you intend to do. I can stand that."

"Still, come back to bed, sweetheart. Harry's fine and, if he wakes up and cries, I'll get up and tend to him."

"You mean, _when_ he wakes up and cries, don't you?" As if in answer, the baby stirred fretfully and whimpered.

Lily immediately turned to check him, but all was now quiet. James sensed her change in mood and slipped his arm about her shoulders. "You're worried," he said, and it wasn't a question.

The young woman nodded. "Sometimes I wonder why we were in such a hurry to get married and start a family, James. We're still so young."

"I don't think 20 is all that young," he answered. "We're out of school, I've got tons of galleons in the vault that my folks left me, we've got this cottage, we're both doing important work--"

"That's what I mean! The work. _He_ is out there, searching for the Order members. You know how many people have already died. How could we bring a child into such a dangerous world? What were we thinking?"

"Well, it's not like we're the only ones, you know," James smiled lopsidedly. "Frank and I had a bet going over whether you or Alice would deliver first. They beat us by a day. Nice, big boy, too. Bet he and Harry'll be great friends when they get up at school, hmm? Real hellraisers."

Lily couldn't help but smile at that. Alice Longbottom was her best friend and they had both been absolutely thrilled to learn they were expecting at the same time, both of them due at the end of July.

James continued, "Lots of other wizarding families adding to the fold this year, too. The Boneses, the Abbotts ... I heard Molly Weasley had another boy in March."

"Big surprise!" Lily commented acerbically. "I think they're trying for their own Quidditch team! How many does _this_ make?"

"Six or seven ... Or maybe it's eight. I've lost count." He squeezed her shoulders. "So, you see? Life goes on! All over England, little witches and wizards are safe in their beds ... and so should you be!" He nudged her gently away from the crib and toward the door. "Come on, darling. Back to sleep with you. Harry's safe in dreamland."

"Will he stay safe, though?" she fretted, looking back over her shoulder at the small figure in the crib. "With _him_ out there looking for us?"

James indulgently kissed his wife on the cheek and ushered her out. "As safe as it's possible to be. Dumbledore himself set the charms on this house and no one will _ever_ guess that Peter is our Secret-Keeper. Everybody assumes it's Sirius."

"Can we trust Peter, though? Really trust him?"

"He's one of my best and oldest friends, Lily. I trust him with my life."

Still, she could not let go of her agitation, almost as if she had the Sight and was seeing something she couldn't quite bring into focus. James sighed and turned her toward him, placing his large hands on her shoulders and gazing into her amazing green eyes.

"Lily, listen to me. We are _safe_ here. Harry is safe. This house is completely unplottable to both Muggles and wizards alike. Even _he_ can't break a Fidelius charm unless the Secret-Keeper tells him and that will _never_ happen. _Ever_. And, on the wildly unlikely chance that he _does_ find us -- which he won't -- I can guarantee you one other thing." And James' face took on a hard, determined expression. "The only way he'll ever get to you and Harry is over my dead body. Count on it!"

There was such strength and fire in the young man's eyes that Lily felt reassurance surround her. With a final glance at her newborn son, she went with her husband to the bedroom across the hall.

In his crib, the dark-haired baby boy stirred restlessly in his sleep and waved a tiny fist at his forehead, as if to brush away a prickling sensation in his smooth, fair skin, then his face softened and he sank once more into slumber.

THE END


End file.
